Name:

School:
Centre #:
Registration #:
Teacher:

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Kevon Shakespeare
Vere Technical High
100125
Miss Halstead

Acknowledgement
Firstly, I wish to thank God, my parents and the
respondents for their assistance. I would also like to thank
my teacher, Mrs. Halsted, without whose guidance and
support this would not have been a success.

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Statement of
Problem
The causes, effects and possible solutions of depression on teenagers of the
community of Mineral Heights.

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Purpose of Research
The purpose of this study on teenage Depression is to investigation and explains
the effects of Teenage Depression in the vibrant community of Claremont Heights. After
the completion of this research the researcher will recommended a few aims to
accomplish this problem.
The researcher would like to impart knowledge to young individuals who believes
to be depressed. Also, to let them beware of the effects it can put on their lives.
Depression is like a force to young individuals which drives them to do harmful
things.

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Research Questions
1. What are the causes Depression?
2. How does depression affect persons at Mineral Heights?
3. How do depressed persons relate to their work relationships and personal
development?
4. How does depression affect the decision-making process?
5. To what extent do adolescence hormonal/emotional changes contribute the depression
in their teen years?
6. What are the effects of teenage depression and how do depressed persons cope with
these changes?

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Introduction
Depression is defined by the website, Medicine.com as an illness that involves the
body, mood, and thoughts that affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels
about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same
as a passing blue mood.
Over the years its been shown and proven that teen depression has been a serious
worldwide issue. Causing the teenagers from our society to serious problems such as
hurting themselves (suicide) and others because of issues such as, school, family
problems, relationships, etc. In this generation Teen Depression is considered a hot
topic. Recently a study found that About five percent of teenagers have major
depression at any one time. Depression can be very impairing, not only for the affected
teen, but also for his or her family-and too often, if not addressed, depression can lead to
substance abuse or more tragic events (NAMI.org). Teen depression hasnt only been
around now, its been around for a really long time and honestly, it will take a lot for it to
stop. The environment that teenagers grow up today is less caring and a lot more
demanding than it was 20 years ago from now. Not only are the numbers of depressed
teenagers increasing, but the age is decreasing, younger children are starting to face this
issue. Studies have found out that There are an estimated 1.5-3 million American
children and adolescents who suffer from depression, a condition unrecognized in
children until about 20 years ago. The reason why teen depression is increasing this
much is because of the social factors that these teenagers have to face everyday. Gender
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also plays an important role on teen depression such as the pressure on girls to appear and
act a certain way. Pressure is also reaching high statistics with boys. Boys are faced with
pressure to hide their feeling and act tough and/or manly. Pressure has been building up
on both genders what with school work and succeeding at it. Teen depression is a
growing problem that hasnt been addressed enough, its an issue that needs to be dealt
with and taken more seriously.
Teenage depression is a growing problem in todays society and is often a major
contributing factor for most adolescent problems. The statistics about teenage runaways,
alcoholism, drug problems, pregnancy, eating disorders, and suicide are alarming. The
common link to all of these crises is often depression. The path into adolescence is a
difficult one, and the choices a teen makes can leave lasting scars on the lives of an entire
generation of young men and women. There is a growing realization that teenage
depression can be life changing, even life- threatening. Depression can be described in
many ways. Its main description is that it is a serious mental disorder in which a person
suffers long periods of sadness, loneliness, and other negative feelings. Medications
where no longer the cure for Teenage Depression.

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Definition of Key
terms
Words

Definition

Depression

An illness that involves the body, mood,

and thoughts, that affects the way a person
eats and sleeps, the way one feels about
oneself, and the way one thinks about
things.

Serotonin

A hormone, also called 5hydroxytryptamine, in the pineal gland,

blood platelets, the digestive tract, and the
brain. Serotonin acts both as a chemical
messenger that transmits nerve signals
between nerve cells and that causes blood
vessels to narrow.

Viral infection

Electro Convulsive Therapy

SSRI fluoxide

Antidepressants
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Infection caused by the presence of a virus

in the body. Depending on the virus and the
person's state of health, various viruses can
infect almost any type of body tissue, from
the brain to the skin.
(ECT), also known as electroshock, is a
well-established, albeit controversial,
psychiatric treatment in which seizures are
electrically induced in anesthetized patients
for therapeutic effect.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor,
family of antidepressant drugs which
includes Prozac and act to increase levels of
serotonin in the brain.

Hypothyroidism

It is used to relieve the symptoms of

depressive illness.

Teenagers

Hypothyroidism is a condition
characterized by abnormally low thyroid
hormone production.

Stress

A person between the ages of 13 and 19

inclusive.
Forces from the outside world impinging
on the individual. Stress is a normal part of
life that can help us learn and grow.
Conversely, stress can cause us significant
problems.

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Education Value
Teenage Depression can be defined as a serious condition that affects many young adults.
This research highlights the causes and effects of teenage depression. It can also educate
the wider society on the signs and symptoms of this depression so affected persons can be
helped and assisted to go through these changes and how to cope with it. The available
solutions would help to prevent depression in teenagers or help them to get over their
depression.

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Literature Review
According to the A-Z Family Medical Encyclopedia, by Dr. Michael Peters,
depression is the feelings of sadness, hopelessness and a loss of interest in life, combined
with a sense of reduced emotional well-being. Most people experience these feelings
occasionally, usually as a normal response to an upsetting event. It is natural to fee
depressed when a close relative or friend dies during which a persons behaviour and
physical state are also affected. This however, is an indication of depressive illness.
Depression that occurs without any immediate cause, which deepens and persists,
may occur as part of a variety of depression illnesses. These are conditions characterized
by episodes of depression alternating with mania, which is a period of overly exhibitable
mood or uncontrolled behaviour. Depression in teens can be very different from
depression in adults. Some symptoms of depression are more common in teenagers than
in their adult counterpart.
Symptoms of depression vary with the severity of the condition. In a person
suffering from mild depression, the main symptoms are usually anxiety and variable
mood; the person may also have a fits of crying that occur for no apparent reason. More
severe depression may cause loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, tiredness, loss of interest
social activities, and impaired concentration. Movement and thing also usually become
slower; alternatively, the opposite may also occur with the person becoming extremely
anxious. Severely depressed people may thoughts of committing suicide and having
feelings of hopelessness. Signs of depression include: not doing things that were
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once enjoyable, feeling tired all the time, sleeping too much or not enough, eating little or
no food and feeling sad, fretful and hopeless.
The cause of teen depression does not arise from a single origin or event. There is
no single obvious cause of depression and a combination of different factors may be
involved. Depressions may be triggered by physical illnesses such as a viral infection, by
hormonal disorders such as hypothyroidism, or by the hormonal changes that occur
following childbirth. Certain drugs, such as oral contraceptives, may also contribute the
condition.
Scientists and researches have found out that depression is caused by an uneven
balance of chemicals in the brain. It is said that not having enough of the chemical called
serotonin may play a role in depression.
The negative effects of teenage depression go far beyond a melancholy mood.
Many rebellious and healthy behaviours or attitudes in the teenagers are actually
indication of depression. Untreated depression can lead to: low self-esteem, problems at
school, running away, substance abuse or commit suicide.
Depression is the most common serious psychiatric illness. According to
Medicinenet. Com, The world health organization ranks depression as number four in
the ten leading causes of death worldwide. It is particularly common in people over fifty
and appears to more common in women: twice as many women than men week help for
the condition. This difference may result from the fact that women tend to seek help for
their problems while men tend to express their problems in alcohol abuse and violence.

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Depression is an illness that can be treated with medication just like any other
illness such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Only a doctor can properly diagnose and
decide what is appropriate for a person suffering from depression. The most common
treatments are antidepressant medicines, psychotherapy, the patient and the therapist
discuss the patients feelings and experiences to try to work out the difficult areas. There
are three main forms of treatment for depression, depending on the type and severity of
the illness. Medication is commonly used to treat teenage depression, though their long
term effects are not well studied. The most common type of medication prescribed for
teens is the SSRI fluoxide, commonly know as Prozac. Antidepressant drugs however do
have some effects some side effects sometimes including suicidal behaiour, so it is
important for friends and family members to watch for the warning signs of suicide in
teen taking antidepressants. These signs include talking about their death or committing
suicide as well as giving away personal possessions.
Additionally, electro convulsive therapy (ECT) may also be utilized as a treatment
for depression. This method is infrequently used but is still considered to be an effective
treatment for people suffering from life- threatening depression. ECT may be life saving,
but it can cause mild temporary memory impairment.
One important thing that family members and friends can do for those who suffer
from depression is to help them get the right treatment and to encourage them to continue
taking their medication until they feel better. Families can offer emotional support by
showing them love and using kind words, help them to keep active and busy, not to
criticize or blame them for their behaviour and also to be patient and not expect
immediate result.
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Data Collection
Sources
The researcher chooses various types of data collection methods so as to obtain
quality and adequate data which will make the research credible in the information it
gathered.
The researcher uses both primary and secondary sources in order to complete this
research successfully.
The primary source which is a questionnaire can be seen as the easiest way to
collect data, whilst it is less expensive and is time consuming.

The secondary sources which the research utilizes are the internet, books and news
paper articles. All these sources provide valuable existing information that can be
seen as reliable for the researcher to use to complete this Internal Assessment (IA).

A total of 55 questionnaires were prepared and distributed to residents in the

community. This questionnaire consisted of both open and close-ended questions. After
they were completed we got only 30 of them back.
I decided to choose the households where children lived. Reason been I want to
get a feedback on their views on Teenage Depression. The numbers of those houses in the
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community were written each on a slip of paper. Each slip of paper was folded and placed
into a bag. The bag was closed and shaken vigorously to ensure a thorough mixture of the
numbers.

Presentation of Data
Graph Showing the Ages of the Responents
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
15-20
21-30
% of respondents 20%

31-40

41 and over

15%
10%
5%
0%
15-20

21-30

31-40

41 and over

Ages

Fig 1: Column Chart

Cylinder Chart Showing the age group of these respondents who participate in this study.
40% of the residents are between the ages 15-20 years old, while 25% are between ages
21-30 years. Also, 15% of them are between 31-40 years old and the remaining 10% are
over 41 years of age.

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Pie Chart SHOWING the Gender of Respondents

20%
Female

Male
80%

Fig 2: Pie Chart

The Pie Chart above shows the gender of the respondents which indicates that 80% of
them are females and 20% are males.

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Chart Showing Persons Affected by Teenage Depression

10%
Affected
Not affected

90%

Fig 3: Pie Chart

The Pie Chart shows response to question three (3) have teenage Depression affected the
residents of Mineral Heights of which 90% says that it does affects them while 10% says
it does not affects them.

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Graph Showing Causes of Depression

Other
Other

Through death
Causes

Fatigue

Fatigue

fatherlessness

fatherlessness
0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Percentages

Fig 4: Cone Chart

Cone Chart shows a response to question four (4) what causes Teenage Depression? Of
which 40% says that the absence of father in their lives is the major cause of Teenage
Depression and also 25% selected that the feeling of been fatigued or due to lack of
energy while 20% stated that thought of death is the cause for Teenage Depression. While
15% selection other options.

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Graph Showing the Signs and Symptoms of Depression

40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
Percentages
15%
10%
5%
0%
Sadness

Withdrawal

Anger

No interest

Withdrawal

Signs

Fig 5: Line-Column Chart

The Line-Column Chart above represents the signs and symptoms of depression of
which majority of them 35% indicated that they had no interest anymore while 30%
indicates the feeling of sadness, 20% stated anger and the remaining 15% stated that they
had withdraw from family and friends.

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Treatments that was used to treat

depression
Options

Percentage

Medication

33%

Counseling

60%

Other

7%
Table 1:

The table above stated that 60% of the respondents stated that Counseling was the
treatment used to treat affected persons while 33% stated Medication and the remaining
7% selected other options

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Graph Showing Respondents Whose Adolescent Decision-making was Affected

100%
80%
60%
Other
Suicidal
% of Respondents
40%

Dishonest

Moodiness

20%
0%
MoodinessDishonest Suicidal Other
Affected Decision-making

Fig 6: Column Chart

The Column Chart shows that adolescent decision-making is affected by them becoming
moody was selected by 40% of the respondents while 25% selected dishonesty, 8%
mentioned of suicidal act and 27% selected other selections.

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Pie Chart Showing Persons Wanting to Commit Suicide

15%
Yes

No

85%

Fig 8: Pie Explosion Chart

The Pie Explosion Chart above indicates persons wanting to commit suicide, while
85% of them reached the stage of wanting to commit suicide while 15% stated no.

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Chart Title
Aware; 20%

Not aware; 80%

Fig 10: Blue Pie Chart

The Pie Chart shows above represent question 14 which stated that if they are depressed
eventually they are diagnosed with manic depressive illness which 80% stated that they
where not aware of that while 20% said they where aware.

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Interpretation of
Findings
The main objective of the researcher was to solve the hypothesis, Teenage Depression
has a negative Impact on the Citizens of the Mineral Heights.
Question 1 shows answers to the question To what age group do you belong?
Fifty percent (50%) of the respondents who belong to the age grouping 15-20, Twentyfive percent (25%) in the group 21-30, fifteen (15%) in the group 31-40 and ten percent
(10%) was 41 and over.
Question 2 shows the sex of respondents, Eighty percent (80%) of the respondents
to which the questionnaires were distributed were females, while the remaining Twenty
percent (20%) were males. It can be seen that Depression is becoming nowadays a major
cause of disability in women. It is difficult for parents to see their children in depression.
In depression, it is common for girls to become moody, edgy, and anxious just before and
during menstruation, and maybe even longer, if she suffers from hormonal problems.
According to the Pie Chart when asked whether they has been affected by teenage
depression, Ninety percent (90%) of the respondents responded yes, while ten percent
(10%) stated no. They were depressed because they feel different are find them selfs
doing weird things that they never normally never use to do, thats when they knew they
were depressed.
In accordance to question 4 a majority of Forty percent 40% percent of the
respondents indicated that the absence of fathers in their lives as it related to the question
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What were the causes of depression? Thirty percent (25%) stated that feeling of been
fatigued or due to lack of energy. Twenty-five percent (20%) thought of death while ten
percent (15%) stated other suggestions. How did they know they were depressed?
Teens may drop out from clubs, sports and other activity they normally used to enjoy.
When they are in depression, they seem it is not funny.
Question 6 Quoted, counseling stated by sixty percent (60%) deals with practical
problems to more structured approaches such as cognitive behaviours while thirty-three
percent (33%) selected medications, and these include sleeping pills to regain energy.
Counseling is very effective and helpful, because they might not even be aware of the
problem or condition there are suffering from. Student counselors often explain and build
awareness among teens regarding the various problems they could be facing or could
encounter and how to combat the same.
Also, person who are depressed eventually they are diagnosed with manic
depressive illness which 80% stated that they where not aware of that while 20% said
they where aware. The term manic depressive illness is a psychiatric diagnosis that
describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes
of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood.

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Discussion of
Findings
While gathering information the researcher found out that:
In the community of Mineral Heights, that ninety percent (90%) of the citizens is
affected by teenage depression. It was also found out that major causes of teenage
depression in the vicinity were absence of father figures as well as fatigue. Also stated in
the literature review by Dr. Michael Peters in the family A-Z Encyclopedia that
depression may also be related to the number of disturbing changes or events in a
persons life, such as when a close relative or friends dies.
It was stated by the majority of persons in the vicinity that they were not aware of
the fact that patients suffering from depression are eventually diagnosed as having manic
depressive illness. This was also stated by Dr. Peters that this is a condition characterized
by episodes of depression alternating with mania, which is a period of overly excitable
mod and uncontrolled behaviour.
It was stated that counseling is the most effective method used for treating
depression. COUNSELING, or psychotherapy, means talking about feelings with a
trained psychologist who can help you change the relationships, thoughts, or behaviors
that are causing the depression. Think about it, you feel depressed because you think your
life is bad. What if you're wrong? What if you're missing all the good things around you?
What if your future holds a lot more promise than you think? When you're depressed,
you're in a rut, and you can't see anything good.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, the researcher believes that although teenagers are an easy target
for depression, the remaining teenagers who are healthy experience a better lifestyle than
those who arent. The percentage of teenagers who arent depressed is because of absence
of fathers in their lives, fatigued or due to lack of energy and thought of death. In my
opinion, Teen depression is something that has grown severely in this generation but I
feel like its something that can be dealt with and can be fixed; But thats if people start
taking it more seriously and giving it more importance, But on the other hand, I feel as if
every teenager has to go through teen depression in order to experience how it is on the
real world and face reality; to know that life isnt always going to be all about joy and
happiness, its going to have its rough moments & youre going to need to learn how to
overcome those issues one way or another.
Everyone goes through it at some point of their lives. It can be considered a
phase. Teen Depression is an issue all around the world, but yet; it can be fixed.

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Limitations of the
Research
During the completion of this assignment I encountered a number of problems which
cause hindrance to this Internal Assessment.
Some of the problems I encountered are:
Due to the late start of my Internal Assessment I had less time to compile enough
information on Teenage Depression.
I had problems with the computer System which keeps switching off when I on log
on.
Insufficient information on certain aspects of depression.
Limited amount of questionnaires were returned, therefore findings cannot be
generalized.
Lack of finance to purchase Inks, folder and necessary equipment to complete this
project.

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Recommendations
In order to solve this problem the researcher has recommended a few points:
Invite social workers from a counseling team to come and talk to these depressed
individuals and let them know what is the main cause and what they can do in
regaining their normal lifes.

The parents of these affected teens should interact with them more in order for them
to feel loved by them and they should take them out on field trips, teach them new
things so that their minds would be occupied with something constructive.

Teens should be encouraged to attend counseling sessions conducted at also so that

they are in a better position to assess their own problems.

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Bibliography
www.Google .com
www.Yahoo .com
www.Medicinenet .com
Dr. Michael Peters -A-Z Family Medical Encyclopedia.
Gerald D. Oster- Teenage Depression, in the Teen Help Magazine.

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Instrument used to
Collect Data
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In order to acquire both qualitative and quantitative information for the Internal
Assessment being done the researcher used both questionnaire and published literature as
the methods of this investigation. The questionnaire is a set of questions that can be openended or closed-ended questions or a mixture of both that is used to gather information. It
consists of 30 close ended questions and 25 open ended questions.
In additional, instructions were addresses to the respondents in answering the
questions. In case persons where not at home the questionnaires were placed in their mail
box or gate with a letter stating what it was about and when completer it should be
returned to the researchers mail box.
The questionnaire was used because it was first handed, primary base,
information. However the published literature was used as the secondary source of
information that is factual and holds value.

Residents
Questionnaire
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Most of the questions can be answered with a tick in the box like this or by
writing on the line provided.

1. To what age group do you belong?

15-20 age group

[ ]

21-30 age group

[ ]

31-40 age group

[ ]

41 and over

[ ]

2. What gender are you?

Male

[ ]

Female

[ ]

3. Have you ever been affected by teenage depression?

Yes

[ ]

No

[ ]

4. What were the causes of depression?

Fatigue or lack of energy

[ ]

Absence of Father

[ ]

Thought of death

[ ]

Other

[ ]

5. How did you know you were depressed?

Experienced sadness or loneliness

[ ]

Became irritable or angry easily

[ ]

Experienced a lack of interest in social activities

[ ]

Withdrawal from family members and friends

[ ]

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6. Which treatment was used to treat your depression?

Medication

[ ]

Counseling

[ ]

Other

[ ]

7. Would you agree that depression affect adolescent decision-making?

Extreme moodiness

[ ]

Dishonesty

[ ]

Mention of suicidal act

[ ]

Other

[ ]

8. Would you agree that teenage depression is caused by them undergoing too much
street?
Strongly agree

[ ]

Agree

[ ]

Disagree

[ ]

9. Do you think parents or other family members contribute to the cause of depression?
Yes

[ ]

No

[ ]

10. Have you ever reached the stage of wanting to suicide?

Yes

[ ]

No

[ ]

11. How often do depressed individuals visit a doctor after being diagnosed with the
condition?
Yes

[ ]

No

[ ]

12. How affordable are the treatments prescribed for depressed individuals?
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Very affordable

[ ]

Just affordable

[ ]

Barely affordable

[ ]

13. Which is least expensive?

14. Are you aware that most people who suffer from depression are eventually diagnosed
with manic-depressive illness?
Yes, I am aware

[ ]

No, I was not aware

[ ]

15. What happens to the patients after treatment starts?

Their energy level increase

[ ]

They create new bonds with peers

[ ]

They begin to express their feelings better

[ ]

They become more interested in there work

[ ]

Other

[ ]

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